February 22, 2013 09:03 PM CSTFebruary 22, 2013 09:03 PM CSTHeika: Logically, the Stars will trade Stephane Robidas to make room for Jamie Oleksiak next season

Heika: Logically, the Stars will trade Stephane Robidas to make room for Jamie Oleksiak next season

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Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

ST PAUL, MN - JUNE 24: Fourteenth overall pick Jamieson Oleksiak by the Dallas Stars stands onstage for a photo with members of the Dallas Stars organization during day one of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft at Xcel Energy Center on June 24, 2011 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Stars beat writer Mike Heika answered questions in a chat on Thursday. Here are some highlights.

What changes do you feel the Stars should make on their Defensive front? Dillon playing top minutes is huge but we've got big underperformances from our vets

It's going to be an interesting transition. Dillon and Jamie Oleksiak will be a part of this group next season. Jordie Benn and Patrik Nemeth also have a chance to contribute. Aaron Rome is under contract for three years, and appears to be a solid veteran depth guy. That leaves you with Stephane Robidas, Alex Goligoski, Trevor Daley and Philip Larsen. The guess is one of those guys has to be traded to make room for Oleksiak, and because they are all smaller defensemen and the Stars need to add more physicality. The logic would say you trade Robidas, who is about to turn 36, but he has been your best defenseman on many nights, so that's a tough decision. You probably can't move Goligoski, so do you consider moving Daley or Larsen? It's a really tough challenge for the GM right now. In a perfect world, you would get a No. 1 defenseman, probably trade Robidas (and maybe Larsen too) and then move up Oleksiak and get the pieces to fit together. But there seems to be no perfect world for the Stars right now. I know some who would like to clear out all of the veterans and let the kids play, but I don't think that's going to happen.

What do you as the biggest obstacle for Oleksiak to get top minutes up here? Basically, what do you see he needs to improve on?

I think it's confidence and physicality. There are two schools on how to get that out of him. Jamie said when he came up to the AHL this season, it took him 10 games or so to get the confidence to play against those players, and observers will say that's when he started getting physical in the AHL. So, that would make you think that he needs to play NHL games so that he can get used to these players and then get comfortable with his physicality here. Or they can do what they're doing and ask him to work on scaling up more physicality and possibly even a little more skill at the AHL level. I think both can work.

Any idea if Matt Fraser is looked at as a for sure nhler? Or do the stars see him as an Alexandre giroux in that he dominates in the AHL but never goes higher than that?

The thought right now is he has NHL potential. He has never gotten a chance to really play in the NHL (three minutes in one game), so it's sort of silly to say he can't do it. They will give him his chance at some point, but they are overloaded with top six wingers right now.

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